Tom Hanks, right, stars in 'Captain Phillips,' the latest in a host of new films "inspired" by true events.
Hopper Stone, Columbia Pictures

Written by

Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES - The following is based on actual events. Of course, Hollywood staged those events, so season with a grain of salt.

After dominating last year's Oscars and generating a healthy dose of controversy, biopics and dramas based on true events will again rule the multiplex - and revive the debate over whether the film industry needs to get its facts straight.

Captain Phillips, the documentary-style feature about the 2009 hijacking of an American cargo ship by Somali pirates, opens Friday and already is generating headlines. It will be followed on Hollywood's true-story hit parade ...